Discussion » Questions » Transportation » What was the awfulest boat ride, train ride, bus ride or any kind of ride that you ever experienced?
Kittigate

What was the awfulest boat ride, train ride, bus ride or any kind of ride that you ever experienced?

Sleigh ride, horse ride, hot air balloon ride, military tank ride, .. anything you can imagine ride..

Posted - March 11, 2022
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Responses


  • 6023
    I can't think of any awful rides.
    There were some exciting ones, though.

    Like when I was in elementary school, and the neighbor kid drove my brother and I to school.
    My brother was behind him, and I was sitting on the handle bars.

    Or the time I was riding a horse bareback ... and it started trotting.
    When it suddenly stopped, I fell off - landed in front of it, and it almost stepped on my head.
      March 11, 2022 11:16 AM MST
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  • 13395
    Whoa!
      March 11, 2022 11:22 AM MST
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  • 16777
    Indian-Pacific train, Sydney to Adelaide. It broke down - TWICE.
    First time was at Tarana, east of Bathurst. The power car, responsible for generating electricity on the train, failed. As it is an offence in Australia move an unlit train at night (due to a plethora of level crossings on outback roads that have no bells or boom gates), they stopped the train at Bathurst and put all of the passengers into local hotels overnight while a replacement power car was brought from Sydney. Accommodation was available due to there not being a race on, Bathurst is full to bursting twice a year due to huge motor racing events and practically deserted as far as tourists are concerned for the rest of the year - although it's still a major railhead and quite a large town, and the Mount Panorama race track is a public road when there's no racing happening, so some ppl like to complete a lap there even if it's only at the speed limit. I've done so.
    Some genius decided that the reserve power car from the Sydney to Melbourne service, the Southern Aurora, would do, despite that train being half the length. Surprise, surprise, it quit at Lake Menindee, just short of Broken Hill.
    Broken Hill is a mining town in the middle of the desert. The place doesn't have accommodation for the numbers, so we had to wait in a dark, stifling, unlit train until yet another replacement car was brought up from Adelaide, as was a whole train, the Ghan (which at the time did Adelaide to Alice Springs) - to take Adelaide-bound passengers home, and Perth-bound passengers from Adelaide to Broken Hill (like going from Detroit to LA via Chicago!) to  join the again repaired Indian-Pacific.
    We did the transition at 2am. It's cold at night in the desert, and there was a biting wind. I was bawled out for trying to change my two-year-old daughter's diaper in a signal box, out of the cold.
    We then boarded the Ghan while the Indian-Pacific was re-routed on the little-used Quorn line, bypassing Adelaide, to Port Augusta and thence to Perth.
    What is usually a 24-hour journey took three days. This post was edited by Slartibartfast at June 2, 2022 9:48 AM MDT
      March 11, 2022 12:50 PM MST
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  • 44608
    USS LaSalle, Indian ocean. Typhoon. Although most thought it was awful, I found it rather fun. The Captain had to turn the ship 90 degrees to starboard, so instead of rolling port and starboard, we pitched and yawed. Quite a bit of damage to the ship.
      March 11, 2022 1:30 PM MST
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  • 13395
    TEE .. RIFFIC!! Great to have good seaworthy ships. This post was edited by Kittigate at June 2, 2022 9:57 AM MDT
      March 11, 2022 4:08 PM MST
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  • 11002
    I took a guided coach tour of Morocco on a clean, comfortable, air conditioned  bus. Everything was fine until the bus broke down in the High Atlas Mountains. It was extremely hot and I don't believe there was any way to call for help. Eventually, the guide flagged down an intercity bus and told us the driver had agreed to take us to our destination. We were a large group but managed to squeeze ourselves onto the bus along with a considerable number of locals. This bus was not air conditioned and the side I was sitting in got the full effect of the afternoon sun. Every seat was filled and there was little room for any air to circulate. After all the regular passengers had gotten off, we were happy that we would soon be on the way to our hotel. But, it turned out the driver had changed his mind and wasn't willing to go further. Since it was now approaching sunset, the heat had gone from blistering to merely oppressive. After some time the guide found us another local bus that would take us where we wanted to go. This bus was old and shaky and its only passengers were a couple of backpackers. The interior was filthy and the seats were sticky, probably from spilled beverages. The group I was with were all seasoned travelers who accepted the situation without complaint even after hours of delay and discomfort. I have a photo I took on that final leg. I remember calling out, 'this one's for the brochure' which made everyone laugh so the picture made it seem like a happy adventure, which in retrospect, it was.
      March 11, 2022 1:40 PM MST
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  • 13395
    Great story, thanks.
      March 11, 2022 4:11 PM MST
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  • 2219
    As newly weds holidaying in Iona we decided to take the trip in a small boat to Staffa. The minister decided not to go having checked the weather forecast. It was fine when we set off but as we descended from the island, we noticed the boatmen bringing out the tarpaulins as they were expecting windy weather. The storm blew up and we had to shelter under the tarpaulin. Duly got back without being seasick. Our 'friends' on the trip thought we enjoyed it all a bit too much. This post was edited by Malizz at June 2, 2022 9:58 AM MDT
      March 11, 2022 1:41 PM MST
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  • 17596
    The worst ride was, naturally, a near death experience landing at Atlanta Airport.

    But, I remember being very unsettled and scared on what is called a water bus in Venice Italy.  I was so very happy to get off of it.  I would not get on another which highly annoyed the husband. 

      March 11, 2022 2:10 PM MST
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  • 1633
    I'll never forget it... I was flying TAP Air Portugal on a direct flight from Lisbon to Washington DC.  The majority of the flight was flawless however, about a half hour before landing at Dulles Airport, we hit a patch of turbulence that shook the plane so violently that flight attendants actually fell in the aisles and one fellow passenger towards the rear of the section I was seated in started praying both loudly and passionately.  Luckily, as I mentioned, it was only a small patch of turbulence and the pilot(s) landed the plane safetly and smoothly at Dulles.
      March 11, 2022 2:40 PM MST
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  • 13395
    I have somewhat fear of flying, I think that turbulence experience would have terrified me.
      March 11, 2022 4:18 PM MST
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  • 7792
    No awfulness in the rides I've been on. I guess I'm fortunate in that way but I do pity the rest of you. HA!!!
      March 11, 2022 2:48 PM MST
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  • 13395
    Lucky deffel!!
      March 11, 2022 4:38 PM MST
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  • 53509

     

     (awfulest most awful)

      May 31, 2022 8:32 PM MDT
    3

  • 13277
    What can we do aboot these verbose,  grammar-horror-show Canadians, eh?
      May 31, 2022 8:40 PM MDT
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  • 5451

    Awfuler sounds cooler, or more cool, take your pick. 


    I know the drill.

     

      June 2, 2022 9:57 AM MDT
    0

  • 2999
    I had two, no three memorable travel experiences;

    Flying into Anchorage Alaska the plane did everything but crash.  It rocked, rolled, dipped everything awful.  Apparently it was nothing unusual, but for me it was very scary.
    On a train trip to Michigan, the train hit a car.  It happened on a curve, the driver was thrown and under up laying on the ground just outside my window.  He was in bad shape, his head was laid open, it was a gruesome sight.
    I have flown into Denver many times but the first time was scary.  The landing was a bumpy ride.  I have since learned that planes can withstand being tossed around in really bad weather.  

    There have been more experiences but those are the first three that came to mind. 




     This post was edited by Honey Dew at June 2, 2022 9:54 AM MDT
      May 31, 2022 8:58 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    As a college student in 1980, the final stop on a concert tour of a group in which I sang was at Tulane University in New Orleans, following stops in Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Arlington-Austin-Houston-Beaumont, TX, and Lake Charles, LA - ALL BY BUS! The final leg was the "death ride" home, 28 hours from New Orleans to Ithaca, NY.
      May 31, 2022 9:38 PM MDT
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  • I prefer to travel by plane. I travelled by bus once for the experience. I wanted to see the view from ground level without driving myself. I went to visit my parents, a distance of 850 kilometres. During the trip, the bus was directed to stop at a weigh station. The police entered the bus and they asked the driver to show them his driving logs. The police officer looked at his driving logs, then he asked the driver to show him his other driving logs. The bus driver was two hours over his daily driving limit, so the police gave him a ticket. He was no longer allowed to drive.

    We sat for three and a half hours until a taxi brought a second driver to the weigh station. The first driver got into the taxi and we were on our way. The bus pulled into a large parking lot two towns away. There was a taxi waiting along with the first driver who was over his daily driving limit. The second driver got off the bus. The first driver got back on and continued the trip.
      June 1, 2022 11:00 PM MDT
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  • 5451
    I’ve never had an awful ride, but my parents-in-law seem to have a curse about trains.  On their last train trip, which was their last train trip because they said they’ll never ride a train again, the passenger in the seat next to them died.
      June 2, 2022 9:53 AM MDT
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